Lorraine Hansberry’s iconic piece, “A Raisin in the Sun,” written more than six decades ago, persists as a profound examination of human challenges and cultural problems that transcend time. Using vibrant characters and compelling confrontations, Hansberry explores topics like racial prejudice, economic inequality, and the quest for the American Dream. This prompts readers to ponder the continued significance of these themes in today’s times. At the core of “A Raisin in the Sun” lies the Younger family’s quest for betterment amidst facing numerous obstacles rooted in systemic racism and economic adversity. The struggles they encountered, including housing discrimination, limited educational opportunities, and limited economic constraints, …show more content…
Beneatha’s ambition to seek advanced education and establish her autonomy starkly contrasts with Mama’s traditionalist beliefs and practical worries. Beneatha’s rejection of societal norms is encapsulated in her declaration, “I am going to be a doctor, and everyone around here better understands that!” (Act 1, Scene 1). This declaration of independence emphasizes the gap between generations while championing the pursuit of self-direction and cognitive liberation. Additionally, Hansberry adeptly delves into the harmful consequences of internalized racism among African Americans. George Murchison serves as a prime example of the damaging practice of respectability politics, where marginalized individuals adopt oppressive beliefs to gain societal approval. Beneatha’s sharp condemnation of George’s inclination toward assimilation emphasizes this harmful trend: “And you ain’t bitter, man? Ain’t you just about had it yet?”(Act 1, Scene 2). Through Beneatha’s interrogation, Hansberry reveals the inherent conflicts in pursuing assimilation at the expense of cultural …show more content…
Her quest for education and independence challenges traditional gender roles and cultural norms, which echoes the ongoing battle for gender parity and equality. Beneatha’s assertion of control over her career path mirrors a larger struggle for freedom of choice within social barriers. She defiantly declares, “I am not going out and be a nurse just because I am supposed to. If I want to be a nurse, I am going to be a nurse, and I am going to be a good one” (Hansberry, Act 1, Scene
The quote I chose was “Reading good literature won't make a reader a better person any more than sitting in a church, synagogue, or mosque will. But reading good books well just might.” The text I chose from this school year is A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. In this essay I’ll be exploring this quote and text separately and together. I interpreted the quote “Reading good literature won't make a reader a better person any more than sitting in a church, synagogue or mosque will. But reading
Amber LaCourt ENG 0235 Professor Jackson 3/25/18 Response Paper #2 Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun” invokes the idea of “anger” and early feminism by expressing the struggles of grasping the American dream during the late 1950s. Characters like Walter Lee and Beneatha Younger symbolize these themes throughout the play. Walter, a husband, and a businessman is struggling to grasp that idea of the American Dream by conveying his authority in the household. However, characters
different viewpoints. The outlook is supported by Walter Younger’s transformation in the story, “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. Walter’s transformation cannot be understated as it represents the progress of his family throughout the play, from a disjointed to a united one. Analysis of Walter’s Transformation Just like Walter Younger, all the other characters in the play, “A Raisin in the Sun” have dreams, which require money. Walter acts as both the antagonist and protagonist
1950s, prevalence of discrimination strongly existed against colored people and women. To speak of this injustice, Lorraine Hansberry wrote a drama which revolved around characters whose such views plagued the lives of others. In the drama, A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry exposes the presence of oppression and white supremacy through the characters of George Murchison, Mrs. Johnson, and Mr. Linder. Although George Murchison is depicted as a colored man, Hansberry still utilizes him to show
Hughes didn’t really have a stable and permanent family unit. After he was born his parents separated. His father moved to Mexico, while his mother moved around from place to place, Hughes was predominantly cared for by his grandmot... ... middle of paper ... ...s/2009/articles/vol6_01_36_dean-epps.pdf>. Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/mountain.htm, Accessed 20 November
It is that time of year once more, exams, graduation, packing up the room, but in a moment such as this I can take time to reflect upon what I’ve accomplished throughout my senior year. In just a short 180 days, so much has happened. Sports seasons came and went, dances, school functions, but one thing remained a constant, AP work. I remember at the end of last year that I didn’t want to take AP literature and composition, I wanted to just be able to coast through my senior year, get by with minimal
As Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights activist, once said, “ The black revolution is much more than a struggle for the rights of Negroes. It is forcing America to face all its...flaws- racism [and] poverty...It is exposing evils that are rooted deeply in… society” (Hall 1). The Civil Rights Movement embodied black Americans’ fight for personal rights and freedoms, as written in the Constitution. Although the Bill of Rights outlined America’s basic rights and freedoms, they did not apply to all
A Raisin In the Sun Staci King Lorraine Hansberry A-2 PCP Penguin Books 10-29-99 1988 Rpt. 2 A Raisin In the Sun is a drama play that takes place “sometime between World War II and the present.” The family lived in Chicago’s Southside. The town was very “dusky” and as each day passed the nights got colder. The Younger family lived in a small old apartment with only two small rooms
The underlying theme of Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, is in the question posed by Langston Hughes' poem "Montage of a Dream Deferred," when he asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?" and then goes on to list the various things that might happen to a person if his dreams are put "on hold," emphasising that whatever happens to a postponed dream is ultimately never good. Even the Bible concerns itself with this problem; in Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing
years I've referred to myself as a recovering Catholic, but never redefined my religion (or lack thereof) since then. When I found out I had to take a stand in this paper one way or another, yes or no, black or white, it was unsettling. At that point it became more than a term paper. Can I, with a clear conscience, write a 15 page paper denouncing the existence of God? I kind of cringed as I imagined being struck down Indiana Jones style, and in that, I had my answer. So without further adieu, the